EEG manifestations of nondual experiences in meditators.

Meditation's benefits are well documented, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear due to a lack of unified taxonomy and confusion between practice methods and resulting states. This study aimed to identify Nondual Awareness—a theoretically universal culminating meditative state distinct from the method or practice state. Participants meditated in the lab while EEG patterns were recorded. During reported nondual events, EEG power was significantly higher in slower wave frequencies (delta, theta, alpha). These events were neurologically distinct from meditation sessions overall, which showed significant elevation in the gamma range.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The holistic experiential benefits of meditation among a widely ranging population have been well established within the empirical literature. What remain less clear are the underlying mechanisms of the meditative process. A large impediment to this clarity is attributable to the lack of a unified and comprehensive taxonomy, as well as to the absence of clear differentiation within the literature between method of practice and resulting state. The present study discusses and then attempts to identify within our sample a theoretically universal culminating meditative state known as Nondual Awareness, which is differentiated from the method or practice state. Participants completed an in-lab meditation, during which neurological patterns were analyzed using electroencephalography (EEG). Analyses indicated significantly higher EEG power among slower wave frequencies (delta, theta, alpha) during the reported nondual events. These events appear neurologically distinct from meditation sessions as a whole, which interestingly demonstrated significant elevation within the gamma range.